Fantasy football 101 – Lesson No. 2

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part fantasy football column. The first part ran… Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part fantasy football column. The first part ran in yesterday’s paper.

Know your scoring system

This goes along with being prepared, which I discussed in yesterday’s issue.

Recently, many leagues have made receptions count for up to a whole point. So, a guy who catches a pass for minus-three yards gets rewarded.

As stupid as that may be, it should make you aware of the value of a guy like Stephen Jackson, who caught 90 balls last year.

In this scenario you’d also want to look for guys like the Saints’ Reggie Bush or the Eagles’ Brian Westbrook, who line up all over the field and get a lot of touches.

Don’t play favorites

I was in a draft recently where a Cowboys fan took Terrell Owens when guys like Willie Parker and Cedric Benson were still available.

Just because the “Big Tuna” Bill Parcells swam his way over to ESPN to be an analyst doesn’t mean Owens is going to stop dropping balls. Another guy who will put up stats like T.O. is Detroit’s Mike Furrey, who will most likely still be there when the pick comes back around.

Young backs and committees

This year’s draft class is littered with question marks, and it’s because of the serious influx of young talent in the league.

Be weary when drafting old backs like Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor, even as your second running back. His teammate, Maurice Jones-Drew, showed his big-play capability. And although the depth chart may read Fred Taylor at the top, common sense says it’s nothing but a facade.

The same can be said about other backfields that are crowded. Although Minnesota’s Chester Taylor may sound more appealing than Marshawn Lynch, Lynch should carry the bulk of the load in Buffalo, whereas Taylor has a future star in Adrian Peterson hanging out in his backfield.

That goes for all teams. If a team has a bulldozer back who’s going to take your guy’s carries on the goal line (Marion Barber in Dallas), you may want to look in another direction.

This particular problem could also land you fantasy gold. For instance, if Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood are known to be splitting carries this year, snag Norwood in the middle or late rounds. In most drafts they’re going very near each other, but you’ll always have people that go for the name recognition in Dunn.

Norwood, who is billed as the fastest player in the NFL, has the potential to burst on the scene, making him a better option for a cheaper price. Sound easy enough?

Sleepers, busts and breakouts

– Ronnie Brown has been serviceable for the Dolphins, but his numbers could be better. This year Miami drafted Lorenzo Booker from Florida State, so Brown’s receiving numbers could take a hit.

But offensive whiz Cam Cameron is now calling the shots in Miami, and we all know the success he had with Tomlinson in San Diego.

– The Patriots’ Laurence Maroney may hold the golden ticket. Corey Dillon is out of the picture, which means Maroney will be on the field a lot more, including goal line situations – a major bonus.

He will also benefit from receivers Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth, who can really stretch the field. He’ll be around on the backside of the first round and is certainly capable of posting early first-round numbers.

– Don’t draft Randy Moss. It’s not that he doesn’t have value – he will have a more than adequate statistical season. But there will more than likely be somebody who overestimates him playing in New England with Tom Brady.

In New England they spread the ball around, so it’s not uncommon for Brady to hit 10 different receivers in a game. So Moss may not get enough balls to be highly valuable, and more importantly, he may not get enough balls to be happy.

I would love to have Moss on my team, but I don’t want him before the fifth round, and by then somebody will have already snagged him. If you’re going to draft a receiver early go for guys like Marvin Harrison or Torry Holt. And if they’re off the board, Larry Fitzgerald could be awfully good this year.

– Although he is in a deep sleep in a crowded Detroit backfield, Tatum Bell is a little like Marshall Faulk. Faulk’s old coach at St. Louis, Mike Martz, is calling the offense for the Lions now, and Bell’s style could suit Martz’s schemes well, granted he wins the snaps.

– Happy drafting everybody, and get ready for 17 straight Sundays of NFL exile. I know I can’t wait.

Tony Ferraiolo is a staff writer for The Pitt News. E-mail him your draft strategies at apf4@pitt.edu.